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@uiten HENRY A. ALDEN, OF FISHKILL,A NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 'lO NEW YORK.RUBBER COMPANY.

Letters Patent No. 71,942, dated Deeember 10, 1867.

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TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

13e itknotvn that I, HENRY A. ALDEN, ot'- Fishlcill, in the county ofDutchess, and State of New York, have invented certainv new and usefulImprovements in the Method and Means for Inlating Hollow Rubber Ballsand other like articles; andI hereby declare 'the following to be afull, clear, and exact description of the same,lreference being had tothe accompanying drawings, in'which Figure 1 represents a verticalsection of a rubber ball'to which my improvements are applied, 'thesection being taken through the inilating-bulb and tube. 4 p Y Figure 2represents an elevation et' the same, with the tube and bulb drawn-loutor projectingfrom the ball. It has been found requisite, both in orderto transport rubber balls and other like hollow articles, cheaply andwith safety in bulk, and to keep such articles properly distended orinlatedat all times when in use, that theyl should be constructed ormade so as to admit of the air being either forced andconned withinthem, or discharged from them, according as itis desired to maintainthem in a distended or in a collapsed condition.

vMy' invention consists in certain improved means for effecting thisresult, and will be best understood byrefer- A ence to thedrawings whichaccompany this specification.

A is a hollow rubber ball, which, while of otherwise ordinary orsuitable construction, has formed init,

4at any desired point, an orifice or hole, ct, in which is secured thebulb b and the tube e, by vwhich the latter` is surmonnted. The formofthe bulb and tube, which are made or mouldedin one piece of vulcanizedrubber,

is shown plainly in iig. 2, Wherethey are represented as drawn out fromthe orifice ain the ball. The device is attached to the ball in themanner shown in the drawings, and by any suitable means. The bulb b isturned inside out, so as to form a cup, in which the tube c isreceived,V and tli'eend of said bulb is united with the inner face ofthe ball, immediately surrounding the orifice a. This position of theparts is shown plainly in black lines in iig. 1. The length et' the tubee is such that when in this position its outer end `will be Hush withthe exterior surface of the ball. When theball is in the collapsedcondition shown in red lines, fig. 1, and it is required toinilate it,the tube e is drawn out until it occupies the position shown in Hg. 2,and in red lines,`

iig. 1. By this operation the tube is not only drawn out from the bulb,but the latter is drawn out from the ball, and the two project from theorifice a in the manner shown in 4the drawings referred to. Air is nowblown through ,the tubeinto the ball, and as soon as the requisitequantity has been forcedin to properly inflate the ball, the bulb ortube is compressed between the thumb and finger, so as to prevent theescape of the air, until a plug or stopper, cl, of hard rubber or othersuitable material, can be inserted in the open end ofthe tube. Assoon'as this is done, the bulb and tube are caused to return to theirpositions within the critico-a, by pressing down upon the tube; forthereby the bulb "ill commence to yield or be depressed at the shoulderx, where it joins the tube, and will gradually be forced down within theorifice, until it springs back to the position shown in darli lines,iig. 1, the end of the tube e being about ilush with the exterior of theball.

The bulb, when in either of the positions shown in the drawings, willhold-thetube firmly in sucli position, on account of the well-knownspringincss' such bulbs possess when pressed in one direction or theother beyond a certain distance. When it is required to discharge theair from the hall, this can be accomplished by siinply removing the plugd from the tube, as will be readily understood without explanation.

i The combined tube and bulb may be attached to or united with the ballby suitable means, and in other ways tlan herein described, as will bereadily understood by those skilled in the art to which this inventionpertains, and the device is, or" course, applicable not only to rubberballs, but to any other hollow articles, such as pessaries, d'c., whichare of such nature as to be capable oi' being distended by infiation.

Having now described my invention, und the manner in which the same isor may be carried into effect, what I claim, and desire tosco-ure byLetters Patent, is-

'.lhc application. to rubber balls or other hollen articles, requiring:rto bc distendcd by inilutionof the eom' bined bulb and tube,substantially in the manner and for the purposes herein shown and setforth.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

H. A. ALDEN.

Witnesses:

W. N. RICHARDS, THOMAS ALnnIDGE, Jr.

